Katniss Mellark
by Maddie2374
Summary: What if Katniss and Peeta's lives were reversed? What if she was the bakers daughter? What if he was the son of the coalminer who died in an explosion? How would that have played out if they were tossed in the arena together?
1. Chapter 1

What if Katniss and Peeta's lives were reversed? What if she was the bakers daughter? What if he was the son of the coalminer who died in an explosion? How would that have played out if they were tossed in the arena together?

I woke up to the sound of my brother pounding out the dough. It's a Sunday which means I should be working and helping my father with deliverys today, but I won't be. Today is Reaping Day. I am sixteen and have gone through this four times before, but it will never become less frightening. I have better chances then some of the other girls, some girls have to put their name into the bowl extra times, luckily in my family my brother decided to be the one to put in the extra names. The odds may be in my favour but that doesnt mean my name won't get picked.  
I get up and get dressed and head out to the bakery. My usually cheery father greets me with a sad "Hello." He has three children that could easily be sent to their death today, so I understand his mood. I start to help with the bread orders. Many people come in getting bread for the celebratory dinner tonight, but I can't help but think why they do this. What if their child gets picked?  
Friends from school come in but we don't converse as we usually would. We're too terrified of what will happen later that day. By the time one o'clock rolls around I'm told to go get in my Reaping clothes, my blue dress that was my mothers. We have to be at the town square by two.  
It's 1:30 and everyone is ready to go. We leave the bakery and my Dad switches the open sign to closed. My two brothers each hold one of my hands. Usually we don't get along, but on a day like this a hand holding is acceptable. As we get to the square we say goodbye to my parents and walk over to get checked in. When were all done we each say goodbye and go to the section of our age group.  
My eldest brother goes over to where the 18 year olds are all standing. This is his last Reaping. He isn't happy because if next year my brother gets picked he cannot volunteer for him. I don't have a sister, so I know that if I get picked, I will die. I walk over to the my friends and we wait patiently.

At exactly two o'clock the mayor comes out and starts to talk. He says the same thing every year so I mostly tune this out. I don't pay attention until the gaudy Effie Trinket comes to the microphone. "Happy Hunger Games!" Is what she says in her annoying capitol accent. Nobody responds, for us there is nothing happy about the Hunger Games. "As always, we will pick the ladies first!" I start to hear my own heartbeat in my head. I am shaking but nobody seems to notice because they are doing the same. Effie reaches her hand into the bowl and picks up one slip.

Please not me. Please not me. Please not me.

"Katniss Mellark."

I almost pass out. I cannot believe I have just been picked. Out of everyone in the bowl its me. I make my way to the stage with my shaky legs. I barely make it up the stairs when Effie grabs me and pulls me over near the microphone. I stand there afraid I won't be able to move again.

I look out into the crowd and find my eldest brother's eyes. He's crying and not even trying to hide it. I find my other brother and he won't even look up. They should be worried for themselves, not about me. I was chosen and I will die.  
Effie walks over to the boys bowl and mixes up the slips and grabs one. She walks back to the microphone. "Peeta Everdeen."

Oh no. I know that name, he is the boy who I gave the bread.


	2. Chapter 2

**(A/N Hey guys, thanks for reading! This is my first story so it means so much that even just a few people are reading. Someone has asked about Prim and yes she is mentioned in this chapter, in this story she is Peeta's sister. She's not mentioned much but in the next chapter he will talk about her more. I am going to try to post a chapter every other days or every two days. I hope you guys keep reading and enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing it. Let me know your opinions and what I should add. Okay here is chapter two!)**

It was the middle of November, two months after the explosion in the coal mine. His father died, along with a few others. They had been given money until they're mom could get back up on her feet again, and get a job. Nobody had seen or heard from her since Peeta was given the medal. I was working in the bakery, at the age of 11. My mother told me to put the last of the bread in for the night then I could be done.  
As I put the bread in the oven I heard my mother screaming out the back door. I went to see what was going on. I looked out of the door and saw him there, shivering. He must have been going through the trash, Mother hated that. The boy had been starving, you could see it in his face. My mother threatened to call the peacekeepers and he left when she said that.

How could she have let the starving boy leave hungry? You could tell by his skinny, bony face he hasn't eaten in days. Yet she still let him leave without even giving him scraps. I couldn't let him die, he has a little sister. She must only be seven. I knew what I had to do.  
I left the bread in 3 minutes to long and you could smell the way it burned all through the bakery. My mother came in because of the smell and took the bread out of the oven, burned. She slapped me across the face and told me if I had ever wasted our food like that again, it would be worse. She told me to feed it to the pigs.

I walked outside and saw him there, sitting up against a tree. Dying. I broke off the worst of the burnt parts and threw those in the pigs pen. The majority of the loaf was fine so I through it out there, to him. He got up as quickly as he could and picked up the bread. For a minute we stood there, staring at each others eyes, and then he left.  
The next day I saw him and his sister picking dandelions. He saw me watching him and mouthed, "Thank you." I nodded my head and walked away. After that, I watched the boy I gave the bread while we were in lunch, in class, and when he got his sister before they left to go home. He never looked back at me though.

He is up on the stage by the time my flashback ends. I look at him and he is standing there firm, not a tear in his eye. How could he be so strong? We will both most likely die. Then I think, he's a survivor. His sister needs him, she's the only thing that still matters to him. There is no way he will let her die without him.

Effie finishes up her annoying speech about how excited she is and thinks we have a real chance at a victor this year. "Shake hands now," she says and I look over at Peeta. He looks back but only stares into my eyes for a few seconds and puts his hand out. I put mine into his and give a little squeeze, reassuring him it will be alright.  
We walk into the justice building and are directed into different rooms. I walk in and sit on the chair, waiting for my family to come in and I try to hold back my tears. This is it, the last time i'll ever see them. I know I'm going to die in that arena, now especially because Peeta will do anything in his power to make it back to his sister.

My eldest brother walks in first in tears and embraces me. "I'm so sorry. I should have volunteered to go in with you. I'm sorry." I'm shocked by this because we don't get along much, however I would feel the same way for him.

"No you shouldn't have so don't say that, who would have taken over the bakery?" I give out a little giggle trying to calm him down and he half smiles. Behind him I notice my other brother, Zander not even looking up. "Hey Zan? I'll be fine, I promise."  
He walks over and we all sit there hugging for a couple of minutes. "Kat, you have to try your hardest, please we need you," still crying Oryan says this.

"I can't you know I can't, first off I'm not strong enough. Second, Peeta will do anything to come back to his little sister, you know that. He will come home. Please don't wish for me to come home because I'm not."

Before he can reply a peacekeeper comes in to get them out. We all hug one last time and they tell me they love me and to at least try to make it out. I tell them okay just to satisfy them. The more I think about it, the more I want Peeta to come out. He has a reason, someone who truly needs him to come out of that arena. I will help him get out.

My parents come in, and while my mother is distant and seems not to care much, my father is a hysterical mess. I hug him the whole time until the peacekeepers come. Before they leave my mother says one thing to me, "We might have a victor, that boy is a survivor."

It doesn't even surprise me that she says this. She was there the night he almost died, she saw how he was on death's row. How he and his sister are now healthy again. They are survivors.


	3. Chapter 3

**(A/N Okay guys this is the third chapter. It's the train scene and it's not particularly exciting so I do apologize. I made a mistake, Prim isn't really mentioned in this one, next chapter I promise! Okay well here it is Chapter 3! Btw don't forget to send me your reviews, I wanna here from you guys, good or bad!)**

Next to come is my best friend Madge. She walks in sits in the seat next to me and just holds my hand. We sit there in silence and I look up and she has tears streaming down her face. I finally burst out in tears. She gets up and hugs me and slips something into my hand. "What is this?"

"It's a mockingjay pin, wear it as our districts symbol. It was my Aunt's. Please wear it, to keep you safe." I nod and she hugs me one last time and she leaves. I wait there for about fifteen minutes until finally the peacekeepers tell me it's time to get onto the train.

I get into the car with Peeta and Effie. I look at Peeta and realize he hasn't cried a bit. Then I remember how my face must be all blochy from crying.. great now I will be thought of as the weak link. Now I have about zero to no chance of getting any sponsors that might help me the slightest bit. I want to be one of the last one's with Peeta just to show that District 12 isn't full of all weak people and we can win. We get onto the train and Effie directs us to the food car. "Let me go get Haymitch." She walks out and we sit there in silence.

"I never got to thank you," he says.

"Thank me?"

"For the bread, it saved our lives, you know. Thanks." I shrug like it was no big deal but am shocked to know that he remembers that. I am about to say something when Haymitch comes in moaning, drunk as a skunk.

"Congratulations." Did he really just say that? "I bet you were assuming to hear some convincing speech about how you guys might have a chance. Honestly you and I both know that's not true."

I stare at him in shock. Wow what a great mentor he is. He doesn't give a shit about us. "Your kidding me right?" I look over at Peeta. He's staring at Haymitch like he just killed someone. "Your not even going to try to help us, to give us the least bit of advice?"

"Oh yeah, here's some advice.. Stay alive." Haymitch walks out of the car and we both sit there in silence.

"No that's not how this is gonna go," Peeta says.

"What are you gonna do?"

"He's gonna help us, give me a little bit to talk to him." Just like that Peeta is gone too. I sit alone and look around. This car is magnificent probably the most glamorous place I've ever seen. I can only imagine what the Capitol will look like.

***************************************  
The next morning I go back into the food car for breakfast. There I find Effie, Haymitch, and Peeta talking. Haymitch doesn't seem as grouchy so I decide to sit down.

"So nice to see you Sweetheart, Peeta and I were just talking about some skills you may need for the arena." The way he says sweetheart is so sarcastic and cold I didn't even know the word could sound so cold.

"So what skills would I need?"

"Well a good skill to have is friendliness." I give him the weirdest look. "In order to survive, someone will need to be friendly, unlike Peeta here." Peeta shoots him a cocky look. "Yup that's a way you won't get sponsors."

All of a sudden the car goes dark. "Oh we must be going through the tunnel! Now were just about 5 minutes from the train station." Effie starts to smile and puts on make up to be 'camera ready.' The car becomes light again and I run to the window. It's amazing, all of the colors and buildings. It is beautiful and blindingly awful at the same time.

"It's amazing," I screech almost like a little girl. I can feel the stares on me but at this point I couldn't care less. It goes dark again and I jerk back from the window. Effie tells me we are in the tunnel going into the train station. When it becomes light again I see thousands of people dressed in ridiculous outfits. I wave and smile to them keeping Haymitch's words in the back of my mind.

I look back at Peeta who seems disgusted with me. "Come on Peeta, we just have to put on a show for them." He rolls his eyes but realizes I am right and comes over. At first his waves seem forced and then when people start to chant our names he loosens up. I look at him to see him actually smiling, i've only ever seen him smile at Prim and his best friend Gale. He has an amazing smile.

He looks over at me and I quickly look back at the crowd hoping he didn't notice me staring. As he's waving he puts his arm on my shoulder and everyone starts to cheer louder. We both smile and continue to wave. He than says, "Is this a good enough show?"

Haymitch comes up behind us, "Perfect show."


	4. Chapter 4

**(A/N Welcome new readers, thank you so much! This will be the chapter of the tribute parade. I felt a little bored writing this one almost, so it might be a little slow. But anyway keep reviewing I really am loving the feedback. Okay drum roll please, here is Chapter four!) **

"Hello I'm Cinna, your stylist."

"Hi I'm Katniss." He is unlike the rest of the people in the capitol. No crazy clothing, no ridiculous make up. He's wearing black and just a touch of gold eyeliner that actually looks tasteful. "So are we going to talk about my costume for tonight?"

"Yes, I understand you are from the coal miners district correct?" I nod. "Well I won't be putting you in the typical coal mining outfit, I want to do something the people will remember. Tell me Katniss, are you afraid of fire?"

I'm getting into my suit for the tribute parade while Cinna evaluates it. "Looks perfect, with the surprise it will look even better." I get nervous, Cinna told me that he is going to light a cape on fire for both Peeta and I. He tells me it's not real fire and can't hurt us but I'm not sure how much of that I trust.

We finish getting me ready and Effie comes in to tell us to make our way to the elevators. I start to panick and Cinna comes over and sits by me, "It will be fine, just be you."

We make our way down to the lobby where most of the tributes are working with their stylists and mentors. We find Peeta and his stylist, Portia. "Hey Peeta." He nods my way. You can see in his face this is like torture to him. Like Haymitch said, he won't get any sponsors acting that way. "Peeta," he looks at me, "I know this whole thing is stupid but remember what Haymitch said about the sponsors."

"Katniss, these people look at us and judge how long we're going to stay alive, this whole thing is disgusting."

"Trust me Peeta I know that, but they can help us. At least smile a little, for Prim." He looks at me in a weird way when I say her name. "Sorry I just know how much she means to you and she needs you to be strong, and do your best to make it out."

"Your right. So they're setting us on fire.."

"Cinna said it's safe, but i'm not sure how much of it I believe."

"How about this, I rip your cape off if you rip off mine." He gives a smile and I laugh. Cinna directs us onto the chariot and he and Portia light up our capes. I look down in fright. Peeta looks over at me and takes my hand. "It'll be alright, were in it together." He smiles.

The chariots start out of the doors and onto the street and I tense up. Realizing I must be squeezing the life out of Peeta's hand I loosen my grip. "It's okay." He laughs. Our chariot starts and we both clench our hands. A roar overcomes the whole street when the crowd sees us. I look at Peeta and realize he's glowing. We look amazing.

I start to wave at people with me free hand. I even blow a few kisses. The crowd starts to chant my name. I nudge Peeta and say, "Do it for Prim." With those words he immediately starts to wave to the crowd and smiles brightly. Now instead of them chanting our names they are chanting District twelve. Finally we are being noticed, and we have to thank Cinna and Portia for that. We won't be forgotten.

We make it to the end of the street where it loops around. We loop around and make our way back down the street. At this point I realize my hand is sweating like crazy and I try to take it away. "No it's okay, they like it." I look around and Peeta's right, they are all still going crazy.

When we get back into the training center, Haymitch, Cinna, Portia, and Effie make their way over to us. "That was awesome guys, and the hand holding was a really good touch," says Cinna.

"I don't think anyone will be forgetting you guys." Haymitch adds. He's right, everyone around us is staring in jealousy. Were about to go up to the room when Peeta calls my name.

"Yeah Peeta?"

"I just wanted to say thanks, your probably the only reason I could stand doing that, Prim will be proud of me. Thanks a lot Katniss."

"It's no problem at all." I lean up and kiss him on the cheek, and right away regret it. I walk to the elevator and start pretending it never happened.


	5. Chapter 5

**(A/N I am so so so sorry for not updating. I have been very busy lately and frankly I just got a really bad case of writers block. This chapter is very short and just feels like sort of a filler so I'm sorry for that! Please keep reading and reviewing, it means so much to me!)**

Once we get up to the room I go right to bed and completely ignore dinner. Why did you do that Katniss? You're so stupid, I think to myself.

Maybe he won't care. Maybe he won't get offended and use it against me. I mean he thanked me for helping him, it was just mebeing kind. I decide I wasn't wrong and Peeta won't be offended by my gesture.

I fall asleep and wake up the next morning at 8 in the morning. I didn't shower last night after the ceremony so I decide to do so now. I have a hard time figuring out all of the buttons in the shower but I eventually find a scent of body wash I can at least stand.

After my shower I go out to eat breakfast. Sitting at the table is Haymitch, Effie, and Peeta. He looks up at me as I make my way to the table and gives me a small smile. Okay so he's not mad at me. When Effie sees me she goes on about how I missed dinner last night and I must be starving so I should dig in. I do as she says.

Haymitch finally looks up from his cup of orange juice, which is very clearly mostly vodka, "Okay guys training starts today. Here's the deal I don't want you showing your skills, got it?"

I nod my head but Peeta protests, "Why not? Aren't we trying to make allies, how are they gonna know they want to work with us?"

"I think you should focus on learning stuff you don't already know how to do. Plus you don't want to be targeted by the careers. Do either of you have any skills?"

"Peeta is very good at shooting the bow and arrow," I praise. He looks up at me confused as to why I told Haymitch that. "He sells my father squirrels and they always are shot right in the eye, perfectly."

"Good for Peeta, how about you Katniss?"

I look up ashamed, "I don't know how to do anything really."

"That's not true Kat, you are very fast and you're small so I'm sure climbing for you is no big deal." I feel the blush burn across my face. Peeta has noticed me in races, and he called me Kat. The only person who calls me Kat is my father and I'd never admit it but I truly love the nickname.

"That won't help me much when I come face to face with a bigger person with a knife in their hand." I look down at my plate and roll around a left over grape.

"Climbing and running are two very good abilitys to have in the arena, let's hope there are tall trees that you can hide in," Haymitch says just before he takes a gulp of his "orange juice".

Effie gasps "Were going to be late, hurry up to the elevator!" Not wanting to upset the woman we all run for the elevator as she said. We get in and it takes us to the training center, all the way below the building. The doors open and it looks as though everyone is there already. Everyone stares at us in jealousy. I guess they're still not over the big bang we made at the parade last night.

Atala, the training coach, goes over the rules about fighting and sends us off on our way. I make my way to the herbs station and Peeta comes along right after me. I look up at him, "You know, you don't have to stay with me. I'd understand if you didn't want to be allies."

He looks at me with a puzzled look, "Katniss, were friends. I thought we kinda had an unspoken agreement yesterday that we were allies, you know the hand holding.. and the kiss on my cheek." I start to blush.

"Oh, I didn't realize. Would you like to do this station?" He nods and sits down next to me. We spend fourty five minutes there before we hear a commotion. We look over and see the tall blonde boy from District 2 screaming.

"Oh you think you're funny do you? Taking MY knife. We'll see how this plays out in the arena." He's screaming at a small boy who looks like he could only be twelve. The little boy runs away and the tall blonde watches him like a hawk.

"He's a career." Peeta says. I just nod my head and go back to what I was doing. I really hope I don't get under that boy's skin.


	6. Chapter 6

The whole day we stay together. Peeta teaches me which plants are safe, and which are not. Even when I get them wrong twice he never gets frustrated with me. We go over to the climbing station and I'm a natural. I guess because I'm so small. Peeta, however is struggling barely making it three feet off the ground.

I climb down to where he is, "Sorry I guess I'm pretty bad at this."

"No reason to be sorry. You helped me with the plants now I'm going to help you." Slowly but surely I get Peeta up three more feet before our lunch break.

When we go to lunch we sit together and look around. I look to see all twenty two of the other faces that will have to die in order for either me or Peeta to live. Peeta must see the worry in my face because he puts his arm on my shoulder and says, "Kat, relax. We just need to find some allies. I actually think I see someone trying to be our ally already." I turn my head to see where Peeta is looking and see her. The little twelve year old girl from 11. Gosh she reminds me of Prim, Peeta's sister. She's looking at us shyly and turns away when she sees that we noticed.

"Wow.. she looks so much like.." Peeta trails off at the end of his sentence. I know who he is going to say considering I just thought about it in my head. I take his hand in my giving a little squeeze and he looks up into my eyes.

"You're gonna get home to her, okay?" He smiles but then realizes what I'm saying.

"Are you giving up?"

"No of course not, I'm gonna try. If it came down to it however, we both know which one of us deserves to go home."

He looks at me confused, "Katniss we both deserve to go home equally. How would your brothers feel if they heard you talking like this. They'd probably kill me right then and there if I let you die so that I could win." I'm shocked at what he's saying. "Look Kat, I'm not giving up. And neither are you. Got it?" I nod my head at him.

This is a side of Peeta I've never seen. The only person he has really ever cared about was Prim. However, right now it seems like he cares about me too. Maybe I was wrong to write him off as only caring for himself to get home. There's more to Peeta Everdeen than I had realized.

**(A/N it's been too long I'm so sorry! I will most likely be trying much much harder on this fic as I think my writers block is gone! Short chapter I know, but because of that I will most likely update tomorrow!)**


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